Happy 21st birthday! It is both difficult for me to believe that 21 years have gone by since I first held you in my arms that Friday morning when you were born and welcomed you to this world and amazing to me that you have only been on this earth for 21 years. To say today that I am proud of you seems superfluous, you have heard those words slip from my lips many times over the past 21 years but you know they always come from the depths of my heart. It is far more appropriate to say that I am amazed by you. Amazed by how intelligent you are, how you seek and absorb knowledge like the rest of us breathe air – effortlessly like it’s second nature for you. Amazed by how kind, thoughtful and appreciative you are of everything and everyone – and how you are never too old or too cavalier to say so to me or anyone else that does something for you. Amazed by how you meld your roots with your wings. Everyday I am thankful that you are a part of my life and a part of our family. If I could hug you and never let you go that would be so unfair to the rest of the world. I know that you are here to do extraordinary things and to touch so many more lives than just ours.

Sharing your love of Hafiz with me, gives me this to share with you today:

If What You Say Becomes Memorable

Most that is said is really like a distant echo.

Few minds are strong enough, free enough of prejudice and arrogance for the original thought to want to pass through.

The body is like a vase, a bell that can chime.

It does so to varying degrees in response to every experience and feeling.

The value of vases can differ, as you know, quite a bit.

How does heaven assign worth to our sounds?

It comes down to this:

If what you say or do becomes memorable to another in times of need,

an ally are you then considered by the gods.

~~Tim, as you come upon this milestone — may you always be considered an ally by the gods.

Home. A simple four letter word that is absolutely emotionally charged. Don’t believe me? Ask any parent of a college kid. “Home” is home, the house and family that you grew up with, the parents that worry about you and provide you with everything…or at least did until you left for college.

I remember quite clearly when the my boys first returned home from college for a long weekend or break and referred to that place where they reside when they are not with me, as “home” as in “when I get home…..”. No. No. NO! You cannot call that “place” home. This is “home”. WE are “home”. Not some place with thrown together furnishings, decorated with beer cans, sorely in need of a good mom cleaning, a place that those other than college folk would find unworthy of being called a home. And yet there in lies the rub. “Home” is not so much a place as a state of mind.

Houses, apartments, condos, dorm rooms – these are all physical spaces that accommodate us and keep us out of the elements, provide a sleeping space and a place to store all our stuff. Home is where you are gathered with those that you care about, whom you care you about, those you support and those that support you – in short, a place where you feel safe, cared for and loved. A place you are happy to spend your time.

It took a while and a lot of fervent wrangling before this college mom came to the non-emotional realization that home means a lot of things to different people at different ages and stages, but boils down to those essentials – happiness, safety, friendship and love. For me, I am more than happy that my kids have found “homes” where they are surrounded by laughter, friendship, safety and love. I know that our home is the foundation of all that and will always hold a special place in their hearts.

Happy Birthday Tyler! It is so hard to believe that 18 years ago today, at this time, we were anxiously awaiting our new baby’s arrival. Tyler, who was in no particular hurry to enter the world (he should have been born on St. Patrick’s Day) arrived at 5 p.m. on March 22nd.

Before his arrival, I could not understand how a mother has enough love in her heart to love two little babies, but taking one look at that face and holding him for the first time in my arms, there was no doubt that I would love this guy (I can’t say “little” since he arrived at 10 pounds 12 ounces) with all of my heart and soul.

Time has flown by. It is so hard to believe that 17 years have passed between this picture

and this picture

He is and always has been very independent, caring and empathetic.

Tyler has grown into a wonderful young man who makes his mom very proud.

Almost 17 years ago to the exact hour, as I write this, our second little boy slipped into the world. Bearing no resemblance to his brother, Tyler came into the world weighing a whopping 10 lbs 12 oz. He was such a big baby that newborn diapers didn’t fit and the nursing staff had to get diapers from pediatrics since he exceeded the newborn 10 pound limit. He has grown like crazy and now stands the tallest of all the boys, very close in height to his dad.

All the boys were baptized right around a month old. So, believe it or not, this is Tyler who looks considerably older than one month at his christening.

Here is a picture of Tyler and his friend Anna playing with chopsticks at dinner in Burlington last night. Tyler has grown into an intelligent, handsome and funny young man.

The men were great. The day began with a trip to New Hampshire with my husband and breakfast.

I got an unexpected call when we were out from the boys to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day, especially since the one that loves his sleep most of all made the call…that was a really nice surprise.

I came home to a house that was clean and a beautiful red, cushy blanket from one of the boys. Lunch out with Tom and two of them. A nice chance to catch up for a while with some friends who are back in town.

Flowers.

And a delicious dinner cooked for me. Complete with clean up.

If you take away the blackflies that almost ate me alive, it was a pretty good day.